you're right. in practice -- >> that means he doesn't agree with you. >> i think you make good points. the truth is the person who's going to set the policy and agenda is barack obama. he's very hands on. it's really a symbolic fight. the question is do you need a symbolic fight when you can get somebody else to do what you want just as well without going through combat, intense combat, over some of these legislative issues, especially the budget stuff right away. it seems to me -- >> what that sounds like, i want to get joy in the panel, that sounds what you hear from washington democrats, every time they are losing is a symbolic fight. you know who doesn't think it's a symbolic fight, the republicans don't seem to think this is a symbolic fight. the republicans don't think this is a waste of, quote, political capital, joy, the republicans seem to think it is worth going hard at the war cabinet of this war president. >> the republicans aren't good at distinguishing between necessary and unnecessar